Requirements

COVID-19 Update:

Applicants,

Please see the following response from Dr. Jeri Bullock, Director of Admissions, about the University of Utah School of Dentistry response to applicants regarding COVID-19:

If an applicant attends a school that has made system-wide grading changes due to COVID-19, the University of Utah School of Dentistry will be flexible regarding the graded requirements for pre-requisite coursework.
When given the choice of a letter grade versus a pass/fail or credit/no credit option, the University of Utah School of Dentistry prefers a letter grade.
According to AADSAS pass/fail or credit/no credit does not affect the overall student GPA.
The University of Utah School of Dentistry will still require a DAT score.
- If the applicant is unable to take the DAT due to COVID-19 scheduling difficulties, we recommend submitting an application without a DAT score, and then submitting the DAT score at a later date.
- The application will be screened; however, interview invitations will not be extended until a DAT score is received.
The applicant can submit a short paragraph detailing how COVID-19 affected their application.

Most of all, we ask for your patience during these times. Future changes to our criteria will be communicated to you as well as posted on our website and social media accounts. Please also share with students that we, under the leadership of Dean Hume and with the support of the University of Utah Health leaders, strongly believe that the ways were are innovating our teaching methodologies, clinical care, and research will result in our emergence as an even stronger institution.

Please stay safe and be well.

Dr. Jeri Bullock

Director of Admissions, University of Utah School of Dentistry

Admissions Requirements

Education

All applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree from an accredited United States college or university.

Prerequisite coursework

To meet prerequisite requirements for admission and to gain necessary background for the study of dentistry, the following minimum education requirements must be completed before matriculation in the dental program at the U of U School of Dentistry:

Anatomy (Human or Comparative)	3 semester hours
Biochemistry	3 semester hours
Biology	6 semester hours
Chemistry, general/inorganic	8 semester hours
Chemistry, organic	6 semester hours
English composition/technical writing	6 semester hours
Physics	6 semester hours
Physiology	3 semester hours
Microbiology (Microbiology Lab required)	3 semester hours

Recommended Courses

The recommended courses are counted towards elective credits and include the following:

Business
Cell biology
Communications
Computer science
Ethics
Histology
Molecular biology/genetics
Additional biology, chemistry and/or physics courses
3-Dimensional art

Job Shadowing

80 hours required; we recommend shadowing a minimum of four different dentists.

GPA Requirements

The minimum GPA requirement for acceptance is 3.0 (cumulative and science).

Dental Admission Test (DAT)

All applicants are required to take the DAT and submit scores via AADSAS, preferably by October of the last pre-dental year. To be considered for admission, a minimum score of 17 in every section of the DAT is required. The average of current students is 21 for academic average and perceptual average, and 20 for total science. Test application information and procedures can be found on the ADA website. Submitted DAT scores must represent results achieved within the last 3 years.

Physical Ability Requirements

Applicants must be able to perform physical and manual functions, with reasonable accommodations, necessary to the performance of dentistry.

Letters of Recommendation

Must submit three letters via AADSAS.

Two letters from science instructors who taught you in a classroom setting and assigned a grade
One letter from a college/university committee, a non-science instructor, dental professional, employer, supervisor or clergy member
If desired, you may submit an optional fourth letter attesting to character and fitness for the profession of dentistry